Since the mid-1970s, Volkswagen’s replacement for the iconic Beetle found its niche as an affordable little hatchback. Adding the Golf GTI with a stronger engine and a sporty interior for 1983 — called the Rabbit GTI in North America — began a series that existed through seven generations. The eighth iteration of the front-wheel-drive GTI, along with the hardcore all-wheel-drive Golf R, have arrived here, but without the accompanying basic Golf models tagging along. It would seem that VW buyers in this bracket prefer the somewhat larger Jetta sedan or the new Taos utility vehicle.

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If there’s one vehicle that’s synonymous with the Honda brand, without question it would be the Civic. It was the automaker’s breakthrough model when it first arrived here in the early 1970s. Throughout the ensuing decades, the Civic has remained a strong seller in its class despite the seismic market shift to utility vehicles and pickups, including Honda’s own CR-V and HR-V compact tall wagons.

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The Tucson’s cabin is a model of clean-slate, uncluttered simplicity. The two round digital gauges are propped up behind the steering wheel and appear a bit like afterthoughts beside the large (up to 10.25 inches) and neatly integrated touch-screen. You won’t find many knobs or switches, and push-button controls that have replaced the traditional transmission shift lever. The redesigned Tucson offers a range of powertrain choices, starting with 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that puts out a healthy 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque.

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The Outlander uses a nearly identical 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine to the Rogue that makes 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. For the Outlander, that’s a nice little bump over the previous base four-cylinder that produced 166 horsepower and 162 pound-feet. The previously optional 3.0-litre V-6 with 224 horses and 215 pound-feet has been put out to pasture. The 2.5 is reasonably muscular and somewhat growly under hard acceleration, however it provides just 2,000 pounds (910 kilograms) of towing capacity compared with 3,500 pounds (1,590 kilograms) for the outgoing V-6-powered model.

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A five-foot-long bed is standard with all four-door crew cab Frontiers. A six-foot-long variant is optional, but the King Cab gets it as standard equipment. Each box gets a dampened tailgate opening and dual lights at the rear of the bed. A factory-applied spray-on bed liner and special cargo dividers are available. The Frontier’s standard four-wheel-drive system uses a two-speed, part-time transfer case with high and low ranges plus hill-descent control. This holds the truck to a fixed (low) speed when heading down steep inclines without the driver having to use the brakes.

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The MX-30 can’t produce rapid off-the-line bursts and the throttle response is on par with a modestly powered four-cylinder gasoline engine. The base MX-30 costs $44,000, including destination fees, and comes reasonably loaded, including navigation, heated front seats and an eight-speaker audio system. The GT trim gets a power moonroof, 12-speaker Bose audio system, faux leather seat covers, 360-degree surround-view monitor and 18-inch wheels (16s are standard).

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The Wagoneer and more luxurious Grand Wagoneer are at the top of the scale in terms of size, being significantly larger overall than both the seven-passenger Jeep Grand Cherokee L that was introduced for 2021, and the regular-length five-passenger Grand Cherokee that’s new for 2022. Combined, this utility-vehicle foursome represents unparalleled market saturation for the Jeep brand. What differentiates the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer duo from the Grand Cherokee is primarily how they’re constructed. The bigger Jeeps — which are the same size as one another — use a body-on-frame chassis that’s similar to that of the Ram 1500 pickup (both Ram and Jeep are part of the Stellantis group), only with an independent rear suspension in place of the truck’s solid rear axle.

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If the Maverick name sounds familiar, it’s because Ford once applied it to a small car in the late-1960s. Back then, it was the most affordable Ford you could buy. Well, the same goes for the 2022 Maverick, which on price alone is bound to garner plenty of attention from both traditional and nontraditional pickup buyers. It’s just about the cheapest Ford you can buy, next to the EcoSport subcompact crossover. For nontraditional buyers, especially, the Maverick’s SuperCrew (crew cab) body style with four full doors and seating for five passengers makes it family-friendly and practical. The 4.5-foot-long bed is about six inches (15 centimetres) longer than the one connected to the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup. It’s also slightly longer than the Honda Ridgeline’s bed floor.

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Pricing for the Wilderness starts at $44,400, including destination fees. That’s obviously more than the base Outback ($33,600), but it’s less than the top-level Premier XT trim that lists for $46,600. Standard Wilderness equipment includes the usual convenience features as well as safety technology such as forward emergency braking and blind-spot warning with cross-traffic backup alert. There’s also an 11.6-inch touch-screen, 180-degree front-view monitor, power moonroof and hands-free power-operated hatch.

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Compared with the RAV4, the Corolla Cross is 14 centimetres shorter, 2.5 centimetres narrower and the roofline is more than 5.0 centimetres lower. The wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear wheels — is 5.0 centimetres less. The cargo area behind the split-folding rear seat is about 20 per cent less than the RAV4’s and the maximum towing capacity of 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) is also 2,000 pounds (910 kilograms) less. The Corolla Cross’s interior is mainly conservative and is closely similar in style to the Corolla sedan and the Hatchback. The 7.0- or available 8.0-inch tablet-style touch-screen dominates the dashboard’s landscape and is positioned in plain sight of front- and rear-seat passengers.

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